Thermal cut-out.



PATENTED MAR. 20, 1906 G. E. BVELETH. THERMAL GUT-OUT. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 4, 1903.

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- Q g7 03 (L e 7// /7/7/7/7/7/7/7////. /////////////m N O A O Q 0 Witnesses. Invemtor.

Charles E. Eveleth. MW M MW UNITED STATES PATENT OFEIOE.

CHARLES E. EVELETH. OF scHENEcTADY, NEW Y RK, ASSIGNOR To GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION F NEW YORK.

THERMAL cur-our.-

Specification of Letters Patent. 1 Patented March 20, 1906.

Applioationfiled August 4, 1903. Serial No. 168,147.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, OHARLEs E. EvELETH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady,

State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thermal Cut-Outs, of which the following is a specification. I

' The present invention relates to protecting devices for electric circuits, and more particularly to thermal cut-outs, and has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive device of this character which shall be very effective in rupturing high-tension circuits.

M inventlon consists in inclosing a fusible the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in wh1chv Figure 1 is a side elevation of a panelboard and a longitudinal section of a thermal cut-out connected thereto and embodying one form of my tom plan of the same.

The panel-board A is made of stone or other suitable insulating material and has mounted upon its front surface two U-shaped metallic cllps 1 and 2, each provided near its outer end with a transverse clamping-screw 3 and at its inner end with a screw-threaded shank which extends throu h the panel-board and receives two nuts 4 an 5, between which each of the terminals 6 of the main conductor is secured.

The fusible conductor B, consistin of a narrow strip of soft metal, is inclosed or the greater part of its length in a casing or tube (1, of insulating material, which is provided at its respective ends withmetalllc terminals 7 and 8, to which the fusible conductor is connected'. The upper terminal 7 is made ringinvention, and Fig. 2 is'a boti with abinding screw 10, to which the up e1 end of the fusible conductor B is adapte to be connected after being bent down over the up er wall of the tube C. The lower termina 8 is made cup-shaped with cylindrical sidewalls and aclosed bottom and is provided at one side with a split tongue 1 1, ada ted to enter the lower U-shaped clip 2. T e wall at the upper end of the cavity is screw-thread ed to detachably engage the threaded lower end-of the tube C, and the wall at the lower end of'the cavity is madecylindrical. The fusible conductor B makes contact with the cup-sha ed terminal 8 at its inner side and end wa s and is held in engagement therewith by aclose-fitting disk 12 and by the charge.

The charge of blast-producing material in the resent instance is compressed carbon-ditallic capsule 13 and known commercially as a sparklet.- When an are forms in the tube C upon the fusing of the conductor B,

com ressed gases mstantly liberated; but instea of spreading in all directions from the end of the capsule they are confined and directedby the bore of the tube to its upper end, so that the arc and the volatile gases by which it is supported are more or less cooled andpositively expelled by the discharge of the carbon-dioxid gasx The'fusible conductor and charge can be readily renewed by unscrewing the tube C from the lower terminal 8, removing the fragments of the destroyed fuse and capsule, inserting a new fusible conductor'and sparklet, rescrewing the tube in place, and connecting the upper end of the conductor B to the bindin -screw 10.

I do not wish to be restricted to the articular construction shown and described erein, for it is apparent that it may be changed and modified without departing from my inven- .tion.

by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination with an electric conductor between parts of which an arc is liable to form, of means controlled by the are for delivering a stream of fluid in the direction of said conductor, and means for confinin said stream in intimate association with sai are.

2. The combination with an electric conoxi gas contained in a small egg-shaped methe end of the capsule 13 is melted and the.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure rco ductor between parts of which an arc is liable to form, of an inclosing wall closelysurrounding said conductor, and means controlled by the are for discharging a stream of fluid throu hthe space inclosed by said wall.

- 3'. The combination with an electric conductor between parts of which an arc is liable to form, of an inclosing Wall surrounding said conductor, and means located at one end of said wall for confining gases in such manner that they may be liberated by the arc and disclzlharged through the space inclosed by said wa 4. The combination of an electric conductorbetween parts of which an arc is liable to form, an inelosing wall surrounding said con-v ductor, and a charge of blast-producing material located at one end of said wall and adapted to beset ofl'b the arc and discharged through the'space inc osed by said wall in intimate association with the arc.

5. The combination of an electric conductor between parts of which an arc is liable to form, an'inclosing wall surrounding said con ductor and closed'at one end, ,and a charge of blastroducing material located in said closed end 0 the wall and adapted to be set ofi by eiaso the arc and discharged through the space inclosed by said wall in intimate association with the arc.

6. The combination of an electric conductor between parts'of which an arc is liable to form, a'cup-shaped terminal to which saidconductor 1s connected, a tube of insulating material surrounding said conductor and engaging at one end with said terminal, and a reservoir for cdmpressed gas detachabl located in said cup-shaped terminal and a apted to be opened by the are. i

7. The combination of a metallic terminal provided with a cup-shaped recess, a fusible conductor, a capsule charged with compressed gas located in said recess and engaging. one end of said conductor, and a tube surrounding said conductor and screwed into the mouth of said recess to abut-at its end against said capsule.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 3d day of August, 1903.

CHARLES E. EVELETH.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ORFORD. 

